The Most Noble House of Black
by mikhailsdyingalpaca
Summary: A winding story told through the generations of the Black family, starting with Licorus Black and his siblings in 1822. All characters are based on information given in their Wikis, along with some artistic license on their lives and personalities. Rated T for light cursing and occasional romantic situations. Any commentary is welcome through reviews!
1. Chapter 1

**The Black Manor: 1822**

Licorus Black sat with his siblings outside their parents' bedroom door. Phoebe had pulled little Eduardus onto her lap, and Alexia fidgeted nervously until Licorus allowed her to sit on his. He ruffled her hair, the same straight, black strands that all four of the children sported at different lengths.

"This doesn't seem right…" Alexia said softly, gazing up at her brother. He pulled her tighter to him silently and glanced at Phoebe for help.

"It is different every time, love. Our little sister is just putting up a bit of a fight." Just as Phoebe finished speaking, a strangled screech could be heard from the other side of the door. "Oh, Licorus, don't you know a silencing charm that you could put around that damned room?" she said fretfully.

"Here, let's just go to the nursery and wait there," he said, picking up his youngest sister and carrying her down the hall. Phoebe followed closely with Eduardus. As they walked past the tapestry on the wall, they saw reflected in it each of their own faces, along with a slowly unfurling scroll on which the name "Hesper Black" could be seen clearly. The tapestry was a gift to their father from the Minister. Though it was almost empty right now, the gold-tinted green would slowly fill with the faces and names of each generation of Blacks, as far as the tapestry stretched.

It was a beautifully charmed object, and it fascinated Licorus every time he passed it. Now, that fascination was tinted with dread as the fate of his new sister hung in the balance. He'd been present for the birth of his three other siblings, but minutes into his mother's labor, his father had shooed them all out of the room. As he left, Licorus saw his father conjure heavy cotton rags to replace the few bloody ones on the bed. It had been eight hours since then, and soon he and Phoebe would be expected back at Hogwarts for their classes.

The stench of potions wafted up the staircase and formed a chokingly green haze around the whole manor. Once in the nursery, Licorus used a sealing charm to shut out the smells and sounds of the rest of the house. Phoebe lit a fire in the center of the room, and blew out the candles in the room. The morning light was still gray, so the dark room allowed the flickering shadows of the fire dance across the walls uninterrupted. Eduardus fell asleep first, curled into Phoebe. Alexia went next, wedged between her older siblings. Finally, just as the sun came up, Phoebe too fell asleep, her head on Licorus's shoulder. The gentle breathing of his siblings threatened to lull him to sleep too, all thoughts of schoolwork abandoned.

"Your father wants you in his room," the painting on the wall said suddenly. Licorus jumped a bit at the sudden sound.

"Is she here? Is Hesper here?" he asked hopefully, trying to bury the feeling of dread that had been building in his throat since the Headmaster had apparated him and Phoebe home. The portrait just backed away to return to its duplicate in the master bedroom.

Carefully, Licorus brought his sister's head down onto the rough rug beneath them, and headed to the heavy black door down the hall. He paused outside for a moment, taking a deep breath.

"It's just Mother and Father," he told himself softly, using all his strength to stop the trembling in his palms. He opened the door and stepped into the room.

Immediately, he was aware something was wrong. Not only had the screaming stopped, but his mother no longer moaned either. He walked to his father's side and looked down at her pale face.

"The child was born blue," Father said stiffly.

"And Mother?" he asked. His voice was faint, as he already knew the answer.

"She has lost too much blood. There wasn't anything left to do. If I'd known the child was dead already, I'd have stopped this long ago. I just-" Father cut off abruptly and gathered himself with three shaky breaths. "Please gather Phoebe and return to Hogwarts. I've sent for an escort already."

"But what about Mother? A burial?"

"That will be arranged, and you'll return here then." Father turned on his heel and quickly left the room, leaving Licorus alone suddenly. He looked down at his mother again, her face calmer in death than it had ever been in life. He recalled her gentle demeanor as she served dinner to her children, read to them by the fire, bundled their robes as they headed to Hogwarts. An obedient wife and a caring mother, but distant in everything she did. Now though, the worry lines in her face were smooth, and the sweat on her brow gave her a glow that actually made her beautiful. Licorus pulled her green eyes closed and kissed her cheek, before pulling up the black sheet around her.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Black Manor: 1826**

The black carriage pulled up to the manor silently, a charm placed around them so as not to wake the muggles who lived here. Licorus stepped out first, and carefully helped a roundly pregnant Magenta out next. Her hair, normally a fiery orange, had begun to bleed black from the roots. While the Tripes had demanded their daughter stay in their home for the duration of the pregnancy, they conceded to Father's even stronger demand to have the child, who would carry on the Black name, born in the Black Manor.

A house elf silently appeared and collected their bags, disappearing as quietly and suddenly as he had come. Licorus walked his wife slowly to the front door. The couple was much too cautious right now to use any form of magical transportation. The door opened on aged hinges, and permitted Licorus and Magenta to enter the parlor. He led his wife upstairs and to the master bedroom. Only four years had passed since the death of his mother and youngest sister, and he couldn't help but remember the last birth that had taken place in this room. His wife lay slowly on the bed and he tenderly brushed her hair, growing blacker in her stress, out of her face.

He loved the woman he had married, which had come as a result of marrying. Of course, he noticed her at Hogwarts, a Ravenclaw who caught the eye of about every boy in the Great Hall. She kept her hair the deep blue of her house's colors for most of her time at Hogwarts, but when Licorus began courting her, she soon used her metamorphmagus skill to change it permanently to the flame color she was now known for. As a Tripe, her betrothal to a Black was not only unsurprising, but expected. She knew when Licorus introduced himself their seventh year that she had met her husband. Licorus knew as well, and what started as a pure-blood arrangement quickly developed into a passionate marriage. Less than a year after their graduation, they were wed and expecting a child.

Now, looking down at his wife, he couldn't imagine his life without her.

"It will be over soon, darling," Magenta said through rushed breaths.

"I believe I am the one who is supposed to be comforting you, my love." He took her small hand into his own and kissed the back of her palm. Using his wand, he pulled a dark chair from the corner of the room to the bedside, and he sat there, still holding her clenched fingers.

After a few minutes, Phoebe entered the room, drowsiness still marring her face. She joined Licorus after busying around Magenta for a few minutes.

"Alexia and Eduardus are still asleep. Father is in the dining room. I think, perhaps, you ought to speak to him. He's received a letter, but he won't tell what it is. He's been drinking firewhiskey since this afternoon. I will stay here with Magenta." She placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Go on and speak with him, darling. He'll want to be here for the birth," Magenta encouraged, pulling her hand from his. He rose uncertainly.

"Send the portrait if you need, me, yes?" He hated to leave his wife, but knew the quicker he brought Father in, the more relief he would feel. He hurried quickly down the steps and into the dining room. At the table, Father sat, clutching a glass of firewhiskey in his hands.

"Licorus? Is that you, son?" he asked, raising only his eyes. Since the death of Mother, his father had quickly darkened and wrinkled, aging twenty years in only four. He purchased only the strongest liquor, as his body had grown so used to being intoxicated that it took more before he felt its effects. Licorus didn't want to know how much of the Black fortune had gone to the whiskey cabinet in the corner.

Gently, he pulled the glass from his father's hands.

"Magenta requested that you come upstairs, Father." He put the stopper in the glass bottle and tried to put it away, but Father reached out and grabbed the bottle.

"I think it will be understandable if I opt to remain…away for the birth," Father responded heavily. Licorus recalled his own fears for his wife, and couldn't imagine the pain Father had gone through when his came true.

"Of course. I'll return when the son is born." Licorus started to leave, but paused at the first step. "Father, Phoebe mentioned a letter that had upset you. Is everything alright?" Father waved his hands toward the stairs.

"Go, go. It isn't to be concerned with now. Go to your wife, go to Magenta." His words slurred, but held the first real emotion in them since Licorus had come down.

"Yes, Father. I'll send for you when your grandson is here."

Licorus returned to his wife's side, and within minutes, he held his new daughter in his arms. He tucked the infant into Magenta's tired arms, and returned to his Father to tell him the news. Phoebe offered to go in his place, but he wanted to go for himself, to see his father's reaction to a daughter instead of a son.

"Father, I-" As he rounded the steps, he saw his father slumped against the wall, eyes closed and another glass of firewhiskey in front of him.

"Father!" he ran to his side and lifted his head gently.

"Your son, he is well?" Father asked through struggled breaths.

"Father, what- are you alright?" Licorus grabbed the glass from his hands and saw a murky black liquid swirling in the bottom. "Father, did you…?"

"Your son, Licorus, is he well?" Father opened his eyes finally, and gripped Licorus's lapel weakly.

"A daughter, Father. Misapinoa. She is a metamorphmagus, like Magenta." Licorus was surprised to find his black sleeve dappled with tears. He was even more surprised to see a smile dance on his dying father's lips.

"A daughter, eh?" He drew in a shaking breath. "Well, then. Another." He closed his eyes again and slumped against the wall, going limp as he exhaled his last.

"Father? Father?" Licorus shook the dead man, but he did not stir again. Licorus took the letter from his father's clutch and upon reading it, tore it to shreds and stormed up the stairs.

"No better than a damned _muggle_!" he yelled, pointing his wand at the tapestry in the hall. Phoebe and Alexia burst into the hall at the same time from separate rooms. Alexia gasped, and Phoebe approached the wall cautiously.

"Licorus, what have you done?" She traced the still-hot circle on the tapestry; a burnt hole where Eduardus's portrait used to smile. She looked at her brother incredulously, waiting for some explanation for his actions.

"Father is dead. Better dead than the parent of…of…" he trailed off, tossing the torn letter to the floor. Phoebe and Alexia rushed to collect the pieces and read it. He walked back to the master bedroom and threw the locks. Magenta lay asleep on the bed, Misapinoa curled in her arms and squinting curiously around the room. Her hair seemed settled on red tones, but it could not pick just one. Licorus watched curiously as it cycled from bright scarlet to deep crimson and back again. It was soothing, and he soon felt calm again.

He called for a house elf, which appeared immediately at his side.

"Fetch Eduardus and have him taken to a muggle orphanage. The ministry has confirmed he is a…" Licorus paused on the word, feeling bile raise into his throat. "A _Squibb._ Don't tell Alexia or Phoebe where you have taken him. I'll deal with their memories later." He snapped his fingers and the elf disappeared.

He walked to his wife and carefully lifted his daughter into his arms. She cried only for a minute before settling into her father's hold. He tucked the black swaddling cloth tighter around her face, and carried her to the window. Outside, he could see the house elves leading Eduardus to the carriage that had brought him and Magenta to the manor. His brother, only 7, looked confused. He had in his hands only a small black bear and a toy broomstick. A house elf took the broom from him and guided him into the carriage. As soon as the door was shut, the house elf snapped the broomstick in half and tossed it in a high arc. It disappeared before it hit the ground, and the carriage rolled into the darkness.

Licorus looked down at his daughter, his _daughter._ He remembered his father's words… "Another" he had said. None of the expected rage, simple acceptance. "Another" he had requested, another child, a son. Misapinoa crooned softly, and Licorus thought of the tapestry in the hall. Burnt, yes. He had mangled the beautiful gift beyond repair. And yet, below him and Magenta's name, a new branch had unfurled. The Black name continued, as it would for the length of the tapestry, and then more. Holding his first-born, he was surer of his immortality than ever before.


	3. Chapter 3

**Diagon Alley – 1837**

Diagon Alley was bustling with shoppers just before the Hogwarts school year began. Licorus and Misapinoa walked with arms full of robes, books, and various potion-making supplies. As a last gift to her, Licorus had promised they would stop in the Magical Menagerie to pick out a pet for her. However, before they got to the store, Misapinoa tugged her father's robes urgently.

"Oh, Papa, look at _them_!" Licorus followed his daughter's gaze to see two black kittens asleep in a crate outside an abandoned potion-supply store. He looked at the kittens, one a sleek black female and the other a fluffy black male with a white patch on his nose. He took in their mangy appearance: unbrushed fur surely crawling with fleas, thin bellies with protruding ribs, and eyes crusty with some sickness. He then looked at his only daughter, her hair usually a pinkish-silver these days, her eyes bright now with anticipation.

"Well, what will you name them?" he asked, picking up the crate. Misapinoa jumped excitedly in the air and clapped.

"Thank you Papa! Thank you, thank you!" She ran excited circles around her father as they left the busy streets and apparated home. Licorus took the kittens to the living room, where his sons played quietly and his wife watched over them from the corner. When he walked in, Magenta stood, then took in the crate.

"And what is…this?" she asked, looking into the box. The kittens were curled together tightly in the corner, uncertain of their new environment. At her words, Arcturus hobbled over to his mother and clutched her robes. Cygnus looked up from his toys to his father.

"Just Misa's gift, or, rather, gifts, for going away to school. Don't worry, I'll clean them up, and they'll not scratch the furniture." He reached for his wand, but Misapinoa stopped him.

"Oh, no Papa please, let us give them a bath, don't use a spell on them!" She reached into the box and pulled out the female. She cradled the purring kitten to her chest and stared up at her parents. "Please, Mama, let us keep them?"

Magenta looked down at her daughter, then at her husband. He raised his eyebrows and smirked, and Magenta sighed.

"Fine, just, clean them up before they dirty my whole house." She waved her hand at Misa, who smiled in glee yet again.

"Oh, Mama, thank you!" She pulled the other kitten into her arms and ran upstairs, Cygnus following right behind her. Arcturus stayed behind, still clutching Magenta's robes.

"Mama?" he asked questioningly, pointing after his siblings. Magenta picked him up into her arms and balanced him on her hip.

"Misa got some kittens, would you like to help clean them up, sweetheart?" Arcturus nodded vehemently. Magenta swept past her husband with a huff. Licorus knew she was upset, but the kittens would soon win her over, he was certain. They took their youngest son upstairs to the bathroom, where one house elf was running a bath, and another was conjuring bubbles for the kittens to pop in the air. Cygnus and Misapinoa sat on the floor, conferring seriously about something. Arcturus bobbled over to join in popping the bubbles.

"Have you decided what to name them?" Licorus asked. Misapinoa held up a finger to him to shush him, and Magenta laughed richly.

"I believe we have a new head of the Black Family," she said, leaning into her husband and glancing at him teasingly. Licorus laughed with her, and waited patiently.

"Alright," Cygnus said, picking up the male kitten. "This will be Leo," he said, petting back the kitten's ears. Misapinoa gestured to the other kitten, who Arcturus was poking playfully.

"And that will be Phoenix." She looked up at her Father suddenly. "Aunt Phoebe won't be mad if we call her Fee, right?" Licorus laughed harder than ever.

"In fact, she just might. But she will get over it, I'm certain." Magenta slapped his arm lightly as he kept laughing, begging him to compose himself.

"Come now, bathe the things so they stop tracking dirt on the rugs," she said, trying to remain stern. Licorus wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her flaming orange hair.

"Ah, Magenta, let them play. Look, the pawprints match the curtains." He kissed her hair again and felt her relax.

He watched his children and their new pets play in the soapy water, making a bigger mess than the house elves could keep up with. They kept an eye on the children as if they were their own, all while snapping their fingers and conjuring away the water that splashed over the edge of the tub. The kittens were surprisingly accustomed to the water, and Leo had let the children style his fur into a little black mane.

Licorus pulled his wife closer to him, and they began rocking slowly to a song only in their heads. "I love you, Magenta," he reminded her softly. She put her hands around his and squeezed them.

"I love you too, Licorus. But did you need to bring home _two_?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Hogwarts – 1842**

In an unused classroom down an otherwise abandoned corridor, a clash suddenly rang out. Inside, Misapinoa giggled and picked up the fallen cauldron. She turned back to the girl sitting on the desk who had knocked it over.

"You're lucky that was empty, Ella. What could we say to Edgar if he found potion stains on this floor?" She set the cauldron on the edge of the desk, and Ella tipped it off again. Misapinoa caught it this time.

"Naughty, naughty," she teased, setting the cauldron on the floor this time before standing back up. Ella tugged lightly on Misapinoa's green and silver necktie, bringing the girls closer. She closed the distance with what began as a swift kiss, but quickly deepened. Ella ran her hands beneath Misa's robes, tugging at the edge of her waistband to untuck her already ruffled shirt. Misa pinned her hands down to stop her, but her efforts weren't sincere. Eventually, Ella leaned back breathlessly.

"Misa, let's skip potions today. No one will care. We'll tell the girls that we were out watching the quidditch practice." She closed her eyes and leaned into her partner, pressing their foreheads together.

"You know we can't do that. Professor Flunter is already suspicious of us, but she won't say anything until she's sure." She paused, looking down at their joined hands for a moment. "But maybe that'd be for the best. You know," she sniffled quietly, hoping to mask the pain in her voice, "you know this can't last."

Ella tilted her partner's chin up and stared into her eyes, which shifted now from glistening gold to brushed silver. "You're absolutely beautiful, my Misa." She placed a tender kiss on her lips before wiping away the tear that streamed down her cheek.

"We'll never have a normal life, my Misa. That's just not how it is. But we are women. We aren't expected to carry our family names. We can remain old maids for the rest of our lives, if we so desire. We'll adopt kittens and visit each other every day. Sure, there will be rumors, but there already are. So what? Let them talk. I love you, my Misa."

"And I love you, Ella. But-"

"No buts. Shush now, and let's get to potions before I lock the door and transfigure the key into a tiny flea." Ella kissed her once more, and they made their way to class.


	5. Chapter 5

**Black Manor – 1844**

Misapinoa finished unpacking the last of her things from school, having finally completed her career at Hogwarts. She was unsure what job she'd like to take up, if any, but her parents had assured her that she had a home with them until she found her way.

Across the room, Phoenix and Leo lay on the black rug in front of the empty fireplace, flicking their tails lazily. The portraits in her room murmured amongst themselves and the house was silent except for creaking wood and the occasional _snap_ of a house elf's fingers. A knock sounded at the door suddenly, breaking the stale air.

Arcturus let himself in, heading straight for the cats as usual.

"Hello, can I help you with something?" Misa said, slightly annoyed at her little brother's nonchalant presence.

"Mama said to tell you Ella is coming for dinner tonight." Misa's heart suddenly raced at the thought of seeing her closest companion so soon after school had ended. Arcturus scratched Leo's ears absently, unaware of the flush creeping up his sister's face.

"Anything else?" she asked, steadying her voice. She began toward her dresser to find a nicer blouse to wear for the occasion.

"No." Leo had rolled onto his back, allowing his belly to be rubbed.

"Then I'd like to change, if you've a mind to move on." Phoenix yawned in the stretch of silence that followed. "Go , on you can take them too."

Arcturus scooped up the cats, one in each arm, and proceeded carefully out of the room. Misapinoa found the blouse she had been searching for, and, after asking the portraits for some privacy, changed into the more flattering garment. She gently styled her hair, changing its color to the black with hints of red that Ella liked best.

A few minutes later, a portrait informed her that her friend had arrived. She practically flew down the stairs, her excitement evident in her swirling green and silver eyes. She met Ella at the door. They hugged briefly, and Ella whispered, "can we talk alone?" Misapinoa nodded toward the stairs, but at that moment, a house elf announced that dinner was served.

Ella seemed tense, and Misa wanted to ease her obvious stress, but there wasn't going to be an opportunity to speak alone until after the meal. Misa squeezed her hand lightly, hoping to reassure her, but Ella only looked more upset.

The young women took their seats at the table, Misa to her father's right as his oldest child, and Ella to her mother's right, as the guest. In an almost choreographed fashion, the house elves swirled around the room, placing dish after dish on the table, and removing the empty ones as they went. Misa glanced at Ella a few times, but never caught her eye. The girl was staring down at her food, hardly touching the feast on the table.

Finally, the last glass of wine was poured for each member of the family, and the chatter began. Licorus seemed eager to speak, and so everyone stared expectantly toward the head of the table.

"I am so happy Ms. Max was able to join us tonight," he began, lifting his glass toward her. She smiled shyly, dropping her gaze before Misa could meet it.

"I have some happy news to announce now that she is here. Due to some…unfortunate circumstances at Hogwarts," here Licorus paused, choosing his words carefully, "Cignus will be leaving the school permanently." Magenta placed a hand on her son's back and urged her husband to continue.

"Furthermore, after lengthy discussion with Ms. Max's family, we have decided to betroth Cygnus and Ella, to be married at the end of the summer."

Misapinoa's glass dropped to the floor, spilling red wine into the carpet for only seconds before the house elves had whisked it away. Everyone turned to her except Ella.

"I'm sorry, I, it just surprised me I guess," she stuttered, drawing her wand to configure a new glass. A house elf filled it with wine, and she lifted the glass to her partner across the table.

"To- to Ella and Cygnus."

"To Ella and Cygnus."

After dinner, Misapinoa rushed back to her room and threw the locks, heading straight for her bed. The tears she'd held back at the table now flowed freely. The portraits in the room again left for their duplicates, a few offering words of comfort before they disappeared.

"Alohamora." From the other side of the door, the locks withdrew, and Ella stepped cautiously into the room.

"I'm so sorry, my Misa. I didn't have any say." She moved toward the sobbing figure on the bed, sitting gingerly on the covers and placing a hand on Misa's back.

Misa sat up, her hair now a jet black with strips of silver, her eyes like two burning coals.

"You said we could," her voice broke for a moment, "we could be old maids together. You said we'd not have to get married, that we could just hide away." She sobbed again, and Ella pulled her close to her chest. Her shirt became stained with tears, both from her and her friend.

"When your parents offered Cygnus to my family, they couldn't help but jump at the chance to be associated with the status of the Black name. There was no lengthy discussion as your father said. I believe it was all settled over a cup of tea this afternoon." Ella shook her head hopelessly. "I don't know what else we can do."

Misa lay back down, curling into a ball, crying silently now. Ella lay down as well. She wrapped her arms around her partner's waist and nuzzled into her warm neck. With a whispered spell, she locked the door and turned out the lights. She kissed Misapinoa behind the ear, and the fireplace crackled.

A few doors down, Cygnus sat at his desk with a quill and parchment. "Hugo," he wrote.

 _My father has just announced that I will no longer attend Hogwarts with you. I suppose I will learn money management as he has, and assume the role as head of the Black household._

 _It has also been announced that I am to be married at the end of this summer to Ella Max. You know her, she and Misapinoa are the best of friends. She is beautiful, I suppose, and kind enough. Misa seemed upset at the announcement, but of course not as shaken as I am._

 _I suppose the Headmaster told Father of our being caught together, which has led to this unfortunate truth: I cannot see you again. If I am to make anything of this marriage, I cannot have a reminder of the love between us to dull my days with Ella._

 _I suppose we will someday run into each other again. The wizarding world is, after all, a small one._

 _Until then, truly yours,_

 _Cygnus Black I_


End file.
